By Mark Dombey- 1,687
A serious outbreak of EFB in and around the Havant and Bedhampton area at present so please all check your bees and if you have not done so please register your apiary on the BeeBase site. You will also benefit from a free visit from a Seasonal Bee Inspector (SBI). Our local SBI is Dan Etheridge and our Regional Bee Instpector (RBI) is Pete Davies.
Here is a quick reminder to what to look for with EFB:
EFB attacks the larvae at an early stage and so is detectable before the brood cell is sealed. Healthy larvae will have a perfect and shiny C shaped appearance; it should glisten and you should be able to see the segmentation much like on a tangerine. EFB infected larvae will be brown and contorted, the gut will often glow a whiter colour when you closely examine the larvae. There may be a foul smell associated with the disease and the bees may try to remove the diseased larvae. On really close inspection you will see that the ventriculus is twisted and swollen too.
EFB is a notifiable disease, if you need any help or advice please contact us via the contact form on the site or contact Mark Page – mpage9@sky.com/ 02392 830803.
